There Are Worse Things
by Rae Kardrinalin
Summary: Maul survives!...with help. Not exactly an AU....read and see why. Review please!
1. Survival

Legal Hype: Star Wars and Darth Maul and Sidious belong to George Lucas. Trinitaia is mine and mine alone, talk to me on chat if you want to borrow her. Please review (I only post finished stories).

This story takes place right after the fight with Obi-Wan. It blends in some fantasy (magic, immortality, what have you) stuff. There is some romance (later) and enjoy.

Darth Maul cursed himself for the umpteenth time for his overconfidence. _How dare that Padawan brat beat me!_ The unfairness of it, after beating the Master Jedi, coursed through him with another wave of agony. He'd probably hit the bottom soon. _Then you can be called Darth Mush._ He would have laughed at his own dark humor had he not been so angry. It also took all of his strength to stay conscious, his own personal punishment for failure.

All of a sudden, he slowed down. Someone (because it was definitely NOT him) was using the force to slow his decent. This distracted him, and he began to lose consciousness. He felt himself (at least the top half of himself) touch the ground gently. A blurred face came into his line of vision, and whispered words reached his fading mind. "Let me help you." Then all went dark.

He awoke in a soft bed in a darkened room. Maul sat up, and realized that his legs were re-attached to his upper torso. The skin where he was cut in half bore a faint scar and was slightly tender. The room was nearly pitch black, but he sensed no other life forms near by (the fact that he was unarmed if there was an enemy eluded his reasoning). He swung his legs over the edge of the bed and gingerly tried to put his full weight on them. As he stood, the room spun around him and he promptly sat back down, gripping the headboard like there was no tomorrow.

Preparing himself to try again, the door slid open and light flooded in. Someone stood in the doorway and flipped the lights in the room on. It took Maul's eyes a minute to adjust, and when he did, he simply gaped.

Standing before him was a young woman, maybe twenty. She was at least as tall as he was with thigh length red-blond hair pulled back in a tight braid. She had full, dark pink lips and flawless ivory skin. She wore a long-sleeved dark blue dress that fir every slender curve. The shocking part, though, was the eyes. They were an impossibly deep blue that seemed to draw in everything. They were mesmerizing (almost literally). Maul had done a lot of traveling and seen many species, but he had never encountered anyone, or anything, with eyes that color.

He recovered from his shock quickly. "Who are you?" He growled.

The girl smiled. Smiled! " Your welcome for saving your life." She had a lovely light voice. Her eyes shone with a mischievous and curious gleam. "My name is Trinitaia Marbruke. Trin, for short. And you are…?" Trin inclined her head toward him.

"I am Darth Maul, but YOU may call me Lord Maul." By this time he had checked and found he was wearing shorts. "So how did YOU save me?" He felt no power from this girl, so he doubted she was the one responsible for his recovery.

"Oh no, Lord Maul, I am responsible." Trin answered his thoughts. "But, I'm afraid I don't know how to explain what I did."

Maul leapt up in rage and grabbed Trin by the arm. Squeezing nearly to the point of breaking a humans arm, he shouted, "How did you do that? How did you read my mind?"

Trin looked into his burning yellow eyes and looked more uncertain than afraid. "I don't know. I just do that sometimes." She answered softly.

"What do you mean you don't know?" He asked menacingly, narrowing his eyes at her.

"I have amnesia. Beyond my name, I don't know anything about myself." Maul released her and stepped back. He immediately got dizzy and Trin caught him before he fell. She was surprisingly strong and eased him back onto the bed. "You shouldn't have gotten up. I healed the physical damage, but you're going to be weak for a while."

"Healed?" Maul looked at Trin suspiciously.

"I…" Trin looked uncertain, "I have a healing touch. I can mend physical injuries and make plants grow." She shrugged helplessly. "I just don't know exactly how I do it."

Darth Maul growled at her and continued to glare. Trin continued to smile, oblivious to any sort of danger.

"How'd you end up in two pieces?" Trin looked genuinely curious.

"How did you stop me from hitting the ground?"

"It's very rude to answer a question with a question." Trin put her left hand on her hip and wagged her right hand index finger at him in a reprimanding gesture.

"It is none of your business how I ended up that way." Maul was seriously starting to lose patience with this insolent girl. Didn't she know how dangerous a Sith was?

"Well then, it's obviously none of your business how I stopped your decent."

Maul suppressed the urge to get up and throttle her. "We'll deal with questions later. Leave so I can sleep." He made a dismissing gesture and lied back down.

"Very well, Lord Maul. We'll begin to build your strength when you're ready." Trin backed to the door and turned the lights out. Maul snorted at her remark, certain he would get up and leave whenever the hell he felt like it. "Sleep well." She said, and closed the door.

_I am going to kill her VERY soon!_ Maul thought as Trin brought in his food with a huge smile on her face. Seeing that cheerful persona everyday was starting to grate on his nerves. _At least it motivates me to get better faster._ Maul had been stuck in this small house on the outskirts of Naboo's capitol for four days now. He had contacted his Master Darth Sidious, who was rather surprised, but also somewhat pleased, by his imminent recovery. He told Darth Maul to return as quickly as was possible.

"Morning Lord Maul! So how are we today?" Trin interrupted his thoughts (she did that constantly) and looked at him as if to say '_you can talk to me, I won't bite.'_

_Pity, that._ Maul quickly shook off that thought and grunted at her. The food was quite good, nutritious but with plenty of flavor. Trin never got a compliment out of him, and upon finding she didn't read his thoughts unless he projected them, he never gave any. Didn't seem to bother her, though. Nothing did, to his disappointment.

"I've been called by my boss to come and do some work today, so I might not be back before night fall." Trin smirked at him. "I hope you don't starve while I'm gone." Maul had been nearly inhaling his food.

"Good, don't come back." He snarled. There was a courtyard next to her home and he was anxious to do some exercises. He disliked being confined to bed and this building; he was restless, rather like a caged animal.

Trin shrugged at his comment and left the room. Maul got up when he had finished his breakfast and dressed (she had mended his clothes and made a similar outfit for him, so he didn't only have one change of clothes). The building was small, but had two floors. Two bedrooms dominated the upstairs and the kitchen and living room were on the bottom floor. The living room had a fireplace that seemed out of place in the land of technology. The kitchen had a table for eating on and on the table sat his lightsaber. It was repaired and newly cleaned.

Maul just stared at it for a few minutes before picking it up. He ignited both ends and was extremely pleased to find that the balance was perfect. He took the lightsaber outside and began his usual exercise routine.

Maul lasted about half his usual time. He came in the house exhausted and famished. He dug around in the small fridge and found a sandwich waiting. As all he had done since waking the morning after meeting Trin was exercise, his curiosity got the better of him as he was alone now in the house. He began to explore. The mantle over the fireplace was devoid of any ornament save a vase with fresh wild flowers. Completely disinterested in the rest of the room, he wandered upstairs and looked into Trin's room. It was clean and orderly. She had a small bookshelf with a few actual books on it. Mostly stories, but some accounts of Naboo's history.

There was a full-length mirror on the wall, and a few pictures. On the small table next to her bed, there was a drawing pad. Smiling to himself at what sort of stick figures she probably drew, he walked over and opened the book. Inside, however, the drawings were very impressive. She had pictures of large winged lizards, plants, people, and Naboo itself. Maul came to a picture of himself. It was a full body picture with his shirt off from one of the times (he assumed) he had been exercising. It was surprisingly well done. Maul closed the book and put back where it had been. He wandered around some more before going back downstairs to have a try at a less strenuous routine.

It was well past dark when Maul heard Trin return home. He was in his room meditating.

"Have you eaten yet Lord Maul?" Trin called from down stairs.

"No." He called back. Something seemed different about here voice. More strained.

"I'll make you some dinner then. It will only be a few minutes." Maul couldn't place what was wrong, so he went back to his own thoughts. A few minutes later there was a knock on his door, something Trin almost never did. She walked in immediately afterwards, but it was the thought that counted. She handed him a plate of food, and mumbled something along the lines of "I hope you'll enjoy it." Then she turned around and left.

Maul was rather surprised for a minute or two. It looked as though she had been crying. She had tried a half-hearted attempt at a smile, but it was limp and devoid of the usual cheerfulness. He briefly contemplated going to see what was the matter. _Why do I care what is wrong with her? Her boss probably yelled at her._ Maul went about eating his meal and then went to sleep, thinking nothing more about it.

The next morning, Maul got up, intending to eat downstairs, less like and invalid. Sure enough, Trin was busy in the kitchen making something. She greeted him cheerfully enough, but there was a subtle darkness in her eyes that hadn't been there before. Most people would have missed it, but Maul was well taught and good at reading people. He chose to ignore it.

"Good morning Lord Maul. I see you're feeling better." She walked over and put some food on the able for him.

"I intend to leave today. Where is the nearest transport?" Maul looked directly at her as she tilted her head to the side.

"It's about three miles from here. I can take you there, or just tell you where it is."

"Just tell me, I don't need your help getting a transport."

"As you wish, Lord Maul."

About a mile to the transport, Maul was attacked by two Jedi in a large alleyway. They were young and not too much experienced, but he was not in top form. While he fought them he didn't notice the third person coming up behind him with a blaster. Trin suddenly ran into the alley at the other end and did notice the man with the blaster.

She threw out both her arms and yelled, "NO!", loudly. The man was thrown against a wall, shattering his skull, but a blast got off and hit Trin in the upper stomach. She collapsed and lay still. Maul quickly finished off the two Jedi and walked over to her. He found a pulse and started to walk away. Changing his mind, he walked back and slung her over his shoulder. He continued on his way to the transport.

_I don't believe they were that stupid._ Maul thought to himself. In front of him was the Infiltrator. The two Jedi he had killed had left it here. Undoubtedly, they were going to keep it for themselves. _Too bad._ Maul walked aboard his ship and placed Trin on a table in front of one of the medical droids. "Make sure she doesn't die." He growled at it and walked back to the cockpit.

He found some clearance codes and silently thanked the Jedi for the convenience. He took off immediately and contacted his Master. A hologram of Sidious appeared in a few minutes.

"I am on my way back, my Master." Maul said as he knelt to the hologram.

"Excellent, apprentice, I await your return. We have much to plan."

"Of course, Master."

The hologram switched off and Maul got a message from the med droid. "Sir?"

"What? She hasn't died has she?"

"No sir, actually she is awake and none to pleased. We found some other injuries on her and-," the message was abruptly cut off. Maul got up with an angry scowl on his face and walked back to the med lab. What greeted his eyes was Trin looking down at the very broken medical droid, sticking her tongue out at it. She stopped when she saw Maul and actually looked releaved.

"This is your ship, I take it Lord Maul?"

"Yes." Maul suddenly remembered what the droid had said before it's demise. Seeing the bandages all around Trin's torso (her shirt had been taken off, too bad the bandages covered everything), he immediately noticed the burnt area where she had been shot. The bandages where there before, then. "What other injury do you have?"

"Who me?" Trin backed up a bit and looked left and right for some sort of escape.

"Yes, you. Don't even bother trying to get away, we're in the middle of space. Unless you don't have to breath, you're stuck." He walked forward until he was right in front of her. "So give."

"You know, a girl could take that the wrong way." Trin tried at humor, then, with a large sigh, turned around. The whole of her back was red where the bandages had soaked up the blood. Maul grabbed a scalpel from on a nearby table and carefully cut off the dressing. Trin hissed once in pain as he peeled the cloth off the injuries, but said nothing.

On her back were six deep gouges. They still bled, but none of them seemed infected. Maul gingerly examined them. "What happened?"

"My boss. I didn't do what he wanted, so I was punished." Trin answered through gritted teeth.

"He isn't allowed to, not on Naboo."

"Well excuse me for not knowing all the local laws. He was the only person who took me in and took care of me. He told me what was what. How was I to know if he was really telling the truth?"

"You can read minds." Maul pointed out.

"I can pick up thoughts. I haven't mastered reading of my own will."

"Why didn't you heal these?"

"It's one thing to heal others, quite another to heal oneself." Trin said. Quietly, almost to herself, she said, "But I didn't cry out once when he did this. I didn't give him that satisfaction."

Maul was very impressed. From the depth of some of the cuts, he wasn't so sure he would have done as well. "Lie down on the table, the med droids will take care of these." Maul said, then started to walk out.

"Lord Maul?" Trin called tentively. Maul stopped, but didn't turn back around. "Thank you."

Maul sat in front of the controls for a few minutes, then turned the Infiltrator around, going back towards Naboo. There was unfinished business there.


	2. New Company

After landing outside the city, Maul walked back to the med lab and saw that Trin had on a new shirt, something loose that wouldn't chaff her back. "Come." Was all he said, and she followed.

"Lead the way to where your 'boss' is." He ordered. Surprise flashed briefly in here eyes, but she complied. She led him to a rather nice house.

"He uses this as his office." Trin said. Maul walked in first, Trin trailing more slowly after.

"Yes, can I help you?" A pudgy, squid looking man (could only be) came up to Maul and smiled. The smile turned into a frown when he saw Trinitaia. "I'm very sorry, what has she done now?" He turned to glare at Trin. "What have you done, little miss? Did we forget the last time already?"

"No. I remember your idea of punishment very well." Trin glared back at him. She hated him, Maul could tell.

"Actually," Maul interrupted the staring contest and they both looked at him, "I came here, with Trin, to kill you." The squid face looked beyond dumbstruck and so did Trin. Maul smiled cruelly at the squid man and unclipped his lightsaber. Igniting one end, he brought it around for everyone to see.

"B.but, Jedi don't kill!" The squid squeaked.

"I'm not a Jedi. I am Darth Maul, a Sith Lord!" At this statement the squid man fell to his knees and began begging for his life.

"What now?" Trin asked. She looked positively delighted at her former boss's predicament. She didn't know what the Sith were, but she liked them.

Maul saw a whip with a blade on the end next to the desk. He picked it up and held it out to Trin. "Do what YOU want. It's your revenge." Trin hesitantly took the weapon and looked around at the room. Maul watched her for a minute; "You can do whatever you want."

A smile to match Maul's worst lit Trin's face as she walked around the room. She began smashing everything, vases, crystal, glass, cabinets, everything. She broke open one of the small cabinets and took out a bottle of wine. "Naboo's finest." She pulled the cork out and took a swallow. "Well, not really the finest. Want some," She turned to Maul, "my Lord?" Maul held out his hand, and she tossed it to him. She continued to smash things while he took a sip.

Trin stopped suddenly at a glass cabinet, filled with jewelry. She carefully broke the glass and pulled out a necklace and a ring. "These were mine. Before I woke up, you took them." Trin turned to the blubbering squid and just looked at him for a minute. Then she smiled again and ran back to the liquor cabinet. She pulled out a bottle of whiskey and started splashing it around on everything in the room. She started to laugh and Maul couldn't help but smile at her.

"What are you doing?" The squid shrieked.

Trin walked over to him. "Stand up and turn around." She ordered. He did so, trembling all the way. Maul watched, wondering what she was going to do. In a lightning fast move she whipped the whip down and sliced open the bottom of his legs, where the Achilles tendon would be in a human. He shrieked in pain and fell on his hands and knees. She then poured the end of the whiskey all over him.

"What I am doing, Xerack," Trin whispered to him, "is erasing you, like you erased so many other people." Trin walked over to the desk and found a lighter. Walking back to the door she motioned for Maul to walk out. She turned back to the cowering Xerack and tossed the lit lighter in. The room caught immediately, but Trin didn't turn back until she had reached Maul, who was already watching the blaze. Some screams could be heard from inside, but she paid it no mind.

"Are you happier now?" Maul asked. He knew the answer, but was wondering if she would admit it.

"Yes." Trin was silent for a time. Finally she turned to Maul. "Why did you do this?"

"Because I see potential in you." Maul turned and began walking away. He stopped and said over his shoulder, "Besides, now that you aren't employed, you can work for me, you cook almost decently."

"ALMOST!" Trin ran after his laughing form, determined to intimately introduce him to his next meal.

"So, Lord Maul, what _exactly_ is a Sith?" Trin was in the cockpit with Maul and had been questioning him none stop for over an hour. He was about to put her to sleep the not so nice way when her question caught him off guard.

"You don't know?" Absolute surprise registered on his face, making Trin giggle.

"Amnesia, remember?"

"Yes." Maul sighed. "The Sith are the sworn enemies of the Jedi. It was a renegade Jedi originally who founded the order. When his ideas failed, the Sith were nearly destroyed. Then one, the only one who survived, rewrote the rules, saying there could only be two at a time, a master and an apprentice. Right now, I'm the apprentice, but when I am ready, I will strike down my Master and take my own pupil."

"Sounds complicated." Trin said.

"Not really." Maul was pleased to see she had shut up at least. Then he remembered something he had wanted to ask HER. "Why did your boss beat you?" Trin looked over at Maul in surprise. "What did you do that was so bad?"

"Actually it's what I didn't do." Maul looked at her quizzically. "I wouldn't sleep with one of his clients. Actually I broke his arm and crushed his nuts when he tried to force me." She smiled viciously at Maul and he actually felt a small tremor of fear, and desire.

_No, no, no! I will not do something I'll probably regret. She's probably the type who would get attached to me, and then I'd have to get rid of her._ Maul thought and pushed ideas involving her away. "You should go get some sleep." He said, before she could open her mouth to ask something new. She closed it and got up and walked away. He watched her leave and shook his head angrily. _Why do I get the feeling that I'm going to regret this?_

"Don't speak unless spoken to and be sure to stay kneeling unless he says otherwise." Maul hissed to Trin as they walked toward Sidious' chamber. Maul was dressed in his black sith robes and Trin was dressed in a long black dress.

"Should I curtsy instead of kneel?" Trin whispered. Maul had said Sidious was important, but by the Maul was acting, she had to be REALLY good.

"If you wish, but don't anger him. Your life, when you walk in that room, is his, to extinguish or allow to continue as he sees fit." Maul led her into a room where a man stood in long black robes with his cowl pulled low over his eyes. Maul knelt and Trin executed a perfect, graceful curtsy.

"And who is this, my young apprentice?" Darth Sidious asked.

"She is a girl I found on Naboo. She is the one who saved my life, my Master." Maul answered without looking up.

"You brought her here why?"

"She is to be my personal servant. She can cook, clean, mend, and fix things. She is also very strong, I believe she has potential to be a useful ally."

"I sense no power in her, Lord Maul."

"She appears to be able to hide it. Unfortunately she has amnesia and cannot yet control it."

"Stand up, my dear." Sidious commanded. Trin stood up and Sidious walked around her. "Very well, you may take her with you on your next assignment."

"As you wish, Master." Maul said.

"I am sending you to a small forested moon, one similar to Endor. I wish to see how well you can fend for yourself without the aid of technology. I may allow hints of your whereabouts to fall into some Jedi hands, if they find you dispose of them."

"For how long will I be there, Master?" Maul asked. He disliked the idea of being stuck in one place for too long, especially with only Trin around.

"Three weeks, I believe." Sidious looked at Trin again. "Good luck, my apprentice."

"Wow!" Trin said as she left the Infiltrator. "This place is beautiful!"

Maul snorted as he looked around. Trees, flowers, and local wildlife were all around them. He felt he would be ill. "I'm hungry, I'm going to go kill something. Make a fire and be ready to cook what I bring back." Maul walked off into the forest, leaving Trin alone to her own devices.

When Maul returned later, he did find a fire blazing, but he also found an odd tree in the shape of, well, a house almost. At least it was a shelter of some sort. "Trin!" He called; he was really hungry and didn't want to wait long for food.

"Yes, here I am." Trin came out of the shelter in a pair of shorts and a loose top. "Ah so the happy, or not, hunter arrives." Trin walked over to him. "So what'd you get?" Maul gave her the meat (can only be classified as such, he really killed it). Trin shrugged and set about cooking it. Maul went to inspect the tree.

"Nature does not make this." He said when he reemerged.

"No kidding, Mr. Science." Trin said. He turned to her and glared. "I found a sapling and I made it grow. I did say I could do that."

"Humph!" Maul sat down next to the fire and watched Trin cook. He realized he had really never stopped to watch her. Trin was very graceful; she never made one clumsy move so far as he had seen. She was carefree in the way she acted, and obviously at home in the wild.

"What, do I have a third eye growing?" Trin asked in a mocking voice. Maul had been staring. He continued to stare, until Trin blushed.

"What are you afraid of?" Maul asked suddenly. The question popped into his head and he realized he hadn't yet seen her truly afraid.

"I don't know. Nothing really." Trin answered after a minute. "Foods done."

They ate in silence and didn't say anything to each other after. It was a companionable silence. It broke when they argued where they were going to sleep. Maul won and got what Trin thought was the better spot.

"You could always join me." He said mockingly, realizing after the words got out that he would rather enjoy that.

"Keep dreaming Lord Maul." Trin answered and rolled over to sleep. Maul, somewhat disappointed, did the same.

Maul swore that whatever greater force was out there was torturing him slowly, and enjoying it to no end. He had been on the moon with Trinitaia for two of the three weeks already and he couldn't seem to get her out of his head. The little shelter had grown to look more like a small house. Whenever he started thinking about her while awake, he would push the thoughts away and practice some more. Sleep was another matter. No matter what he did or how hard he worked, he dreamed of deep blue eyes and soft skin. More often than not, when he woke up he would immediately go off to train. It was at one of these times that she chose to bother him.

"Not bad, Lord Maul." Trin said from the edge of the clearing he had made. He was practicing with a staff, naked from the waist up. He was, however not in the mood for an audience.

"Go away."

"But I want to try." Maul turned around to look at Trin. She looked annoyingly determined to stay until he complied with her wishes. So he tossed her the staff he was holding and grabbed another nearby.

"Very well, if you really want a broken bone or ten, than lets see if you can attack me." Maul sneered at her. He had a lot of frustration and if she chose to be an outlet, it was her hide.

"Why don't you hit first." Trin offered. She took a defensive position (seems she had some sort of training) and waited for him to attack, which he gladly did.

It was a fast fight. He attacked, she parried, then she counterattacked. He flipped behind her and when he swung at her head she crouched and knocked his feet out from under him. He used his staff to do likewise and she rolled away from him. They both jumped to their feet and circled each other warily, looking for gaps in the others defense. She suddenly lunged at him and at the last instant vaulted over him, landing a kick on his back.

_She's quicker than I thought. _Maul thought to himself. He attacked first this time and Trin quickly deflected any blows he sent at her. She dodged, parried and hit him more than once on the counters. He hit her a few times and they were both bleeding in a matter of minutes. Suddenly, with a quick move, she knocked his staff out of the way and brought the other end of the staff onto his arm, breaking it just below the elbow. She knocked him to the ground while he was shocked and brought the staff down aimed at his neck. The look in her eyes was pure murder, not the girl he had known for over two weeks. Maul believed he was going to die. But, right before the staff hit, it stopped. Maul felt the slight breeze from the near impact and looked at Trin.

She was absolutely terrified. She dropped the staff where it was and backed away. Maul sat up and met her eyes for a moment before she turned and fled. He tried to call her back, but his arm suddenly reminded him of its condition. He got up and walked back to their shelter. _She'll be back, all happy again._ But somehow, he wasn't so sure.


	3. Together

Trin did come back, but she looked haggard and worn. Maul looked up as she approached. She didn't say anything, but walked up to him and placed her hands on his arm where the break was. A soft light formed in the palm of her hand and Maul felt all the pain go away, as well as the bone reknite together.

"I'm sorry about what I did." She said softly as she removed the makeshift sling he had put on his arm.

This was too much. Maul grabbed her by the arm and made her look him in the eye. "For what? For nearly killing me? Why? I'd have done the same to you. Hell, I might have actually done it! Do not apologize for you actions, not when the person you beat up seems to have deserved it!"

"Deserved it, why?"

"Forget it, just don't go feeling sorry for yourself, OR for me." Maul got up and walked into the shelter, leaving Trin a bit confused, but feeling better.

Maul was awoken by the sound of thunder. A huge crack shook the whole tree. He got out of bed and decided he should wake up Trin (if she wasn't already) and get her out of the house before it was struck.

He didn't find Trin in the tree, but outside dancing in the rain. She was twirling and laughing like mad. "What are you doing?" He called to her.

Trin turned with a huge smile on her face. She was drenched and her nightgown clung to her like a second skin. "What does it look like I'm doing? I love the rain!"

"You're going to get pneumonia." _And I'm going to lose it soon._ Trin ran over to him and grabbed his hands, pulling him with her out in the storm. It wasn't cold, but Maul started shaking. He hopped Trin wouldn't notice.

She did. "What's wrong?" She stepped closer to look into his face.

Her concern was his undoing. "Too much." He whispered, and holding the side of her face with one hand, captured her lips with his. She was evidently surprised, but didn't fight. Quite the contrary, she wrapped her hands around his neck and kissed him back passionately. He pulled her against him and the storm around them was completely forgotten, set aside for the storm brewing inside them. They forgot about everything but each other.

Maul woke up and felt warm flesh next to him. That's when he remembered last night. Curled up next to him was Trin, sleeping quietly. He had carried her inside to his bed when they had finally broken the kiss. He was still exhausted (who would have thought you could do this for three hours?). Trin made a little moan noise and he smiled down at her. He wasn't frustrated any more, but he was concerned. For a Sith to care about someone was probably rare, and could be dangerous. But it was too late now, had been since he met Trin.

Maul trailed his fingers lightly down her side and watched the goosebumps rise. She was everything he could want. But if his master knew-. _Don't think about that. It won't happen, at least, not until I kill him._ Maul smiled again and leaned down right next to Trin. "I love you." He whispered, then joined her in sleep again.

Trin woke up to see Maul next to her, sleeping peacefully. _I wonder if I should tell him he was a little rough for most people. Naa, he wasn't really too rough for me._ Trin looked closely at Maul's, her lover's, body. He really was perfect. She liked the tattoo, and traced it around on his chest. _Dad had a tattoo._ Dad!

Trin sat bolt upright and gripped her head as a wave of pain sliced through it. Her sudden action woke up Maul and she felt his arms slip around her shoulders, but she couldn't hear what he said through the rush in her ears. Images flashed through her head so fast she couldn't make sense of them. Them, just as suddenly, it stopped. She gasped in pain and collapsed into Mauls arms, whimpering.

"Shhh. What happened, Trin?" Maul asked quietly.

"I remembered my father." Trin said. She was very happy, even through the pain. "I can remember some other things, but it's all rather jumbled." Trin looked up into Maul's face, she saw worry in his eyes, something she thought she'd never see. "We'll worry later." She smiled at him and he bent down to kiss her.

When he pulled away, he looked in her eyes to see if she would object to some exercise. She pulled him down on top if her and kissed him again.


	4. There Are Worse Things

Three days before schedule, Sidious called them and wanted both to return as soon as possible.

"Did he seem surprised to see both of us?" Trin asked as they made their way back to Corusant. The last couple days had been nice; she and Maul had talked little, trained some, and 'exercised' a lot.

"Perhaps. He seemed very curious about you, he may have expected one of us to kill the other." Maul had noticed the brief surprise as well, and it had bothered him more than he would have liked.

"Well, at least I've started getting back my memories." In fact the bizarre headaches had been hitting her with an annoying consistency. But afterward, Maul was there to make her forget the pain.

"Now we just need you to remember something useful." Maul said gloomily. Trin just smiled and shook her head.

"I have a special job for you Maul," Sidious stood in front of both of them. "I am going to invite that Jedi brat Obi-Wan here for a political meeting. The Supreme Chancellor is very interested in privately meeting the man who defeated a Sith." Sidious looked over at Maul as he growled softly. "So you're still sore about that, my apprentice?" Maul looked up at his master; his yellow eyes filled with hate toward the newly titled Jedi Knight. "You will get your chance, Lord Maul, never fear."

"I do not, my Master." Maul answered. Maul looked over at Trin and smiled maniacally. It would be frightening to anyone else, but she couldn't help but smile back at him.

"As for you, my dear." Sidious turned his attention to Trin.

"Yes, Master Sidious?" Trin asked respectfully.

"You will act as the servant for everyone. I want Kenobi at ease so we will be having dinner. Make something nice." Sidious purred. Trin got most perplexing feelings from him, but for now she chose to ignore them and consider what to serve. She should have paid more attention to what she felt.

"Kenobi will be here soon. Sidious wishes to know what you have prepared." Maul came up behind Trin as she stood in front of a table cutting vegetables. Her hand slipped at his sudden approach.

"You know, it's actually getting harder to tell when you're near." Trin told him as she applied pressure to the cut. Maul turned her around and sucked at the cut. Trin's eyes glazed for a minute then she snatched her hand back and playfully glared at him. "I need to finish the meal first, and YOU seem to need to kill this Jedi kid."

"At least you could tell I was near." Maul said mockingly.

"Out! Get out of my kitchen!" Trin pushed and shooed him out the door while he laughed.

"Greetings Mr. Kenobi." Trin stood at the door of Palpatine's mansion. She had answered the door as she was instructed. "I am Trinitaia. Please follow me." She turned and started walking away, listening to tell if he followed her.

Maul watched through a crack in one of the dinning room doors as Trin led in Kenobi and Palpatine greeted him. Maul couldn't hear them, but he wasn't really trying to. Seeing Kenobi made his blood boil and he automatically reached for his lightsaber. Only through extreme self-control did he not ignite it and burst into the room to hack the kid into pieces. Sidious had been quit clear as to how the evening was to go.

_Doesn't mean I have to like it._ He thought bitterly. His dislike of Sidious had been growing rather drastically. Maul noticed, albeit discreetly, the way he looked at Trin. _Now the only question about my attitude is if I'm being protective or possessive._

_Possessive, definitely. _Trin's voice echoed with amusement in his head. Maul looked over to her standing at the other end of the room. She smiled at him and disappeared out the door into the kitchen. _I remembered more, important things, but I'll tell you later._

Finally the signal from Sidious came. Maul burst through the door and stood smiling at Kenobi in a way to freeze blood. Kenobi jumped to his feet and faced Maul, igniting his lightsaber. Palpatine, feigning fear, stood and retreated to the back of the room as the two enemies clashed in an almost uncontrolled amount of hatred on both sides.

Obi-Wan had been training. He met every attack Maul sent at him. Now, Maul did only have one end ignited, but Maul didn't want to kill him yet. He wanted to make him suffer and bleed. He enjoyed feeling the waves of hatred from the boy; he was obviously still mourning his Masters death.

"Tell me boy." Maul growled at him, "Was the old man dead when you got to him, or was he alive enough to say what a disappointment he had been?"

"Monster!" Obi-Wan yelled. He had thought for sure that the Sith Lord had been killed. No one could survive being cut in two! Kenobi used the Force to throw Maul backward into the table where he and the Chancellor had eaten. The Chancellor! Why else would the Sith be here? "I won't let you kill him Sith! As a Jedi Knight I will protect the Chancellor with my life!" Kenobi lunged at Maul and they stood face to face for a moment, angry eyes to hate-filled burning ones.

"Than you'll lose it!" Maul hissed at him. They separated and the lightsabers met again in a frenzy of attack and counterattack.

Trin watched Maul and Kenobi attack each other without reserve. Each was as determined as the other to kill was. In the corner, Sidious/Palpatine was watching the fight with an amused look on his face. He didn't look the least bit concerned for his apprentice. Trin focused her thoughts on him, trying to see past the barrier that he had erected to keep out unwanted intruders. He began looking around and saw her as she got through to his thoughts. _He intends to kill Maul!_ He smiled at her and wagged his finger at her in a naughty, naughty manner. Sidious raised one hand and a metal spike that had looked like an odd piece of art floated up and pointed directly at her heart. With a wave of his hand, it flew forward.

Maul noticed movement out of the corner of his eye, and turned slightly to see the metal spike rise in the air. It wasn't pointed at him or Kenobi. Following its trajectory, he saw it pointed at Trin in the corner of the room with a stricken look on her face. Knocking Kenobi back with a Force hit, he turned and saw as Sidious waved his hand, sending the spike toward her. Without even thinking, Maul jumped in the way and felt the spike slice through his heart, stopping as it hit the rib bones. He looked down at the metal protruding from his chest in utter disbelief, then collapsed on the ground, the last thing he heard a scream of remorse that went through the veil of death itself to reach his ears. Then nothing.

Trin saw the spike come at her, then saw Maul jump in the way. The impact knocked him back half a step, and he stood there for a moment before collapsing. A scream of grief tore itself from her throat and a shock wave of pure Force emanated from her, knocking Kenobi and Sidious unconscious. Trin ran toward Maul's prone form, tears running down her face. She brushed her fingers along the side of his face, and remembered all of her past in a rush. She suddenly smiled and set to work.

Maul felt a weight on his chest. _Wait, I'm dead, I shouldn't feel anything._

_Do you wish to live, my love?_ A voice, Trin's sounded all around him.

_Yes!_ With that one word, the weight lifted and Maul breathed in. He opened his eyes as sensation returned and looked up into the concerned eyes of Trin. Her blue eyes glowed with an inner light and she helped him sit up. Lying next to him was the spike, blood all along its length. He felt the area where it had penetrated and found nothing but unbroken skin.

"How? I didn't know you bring people back from the dead?" His voice sounded a little different to him, and he felt different too. _Probably a side effect of dying._

"No. I can't bring people back to life, not as they were." Maul looked at her quizzically. "You're like me now Maul, immortal." Maul looked more than a little shocked. "Let me explain. First of all, I have all my memories back. I'm over six hundred years old. I was in a ship when it crashed on Naboo, and while I survived, the impact erased my memory. I wasn't ever planning to make anyone like me, except the man I loved, and that's you. I love you Maul." She looked into his now glowing gold eyes and hoped she hadn't made a mistake.

Maul smiled, seeming to read her mind. "Call me Khameir, it was my name once, it can be again." He traced a finger down her jaw, amazed at the new sensations he felt. Something had changed in him, but he didn't care about that currently. "So what now?"

"We leave, disappear for all purposes. We have the universe to explore, and all eternity to do it." Trin said. They heard Sidious groan, the first to wake up. They both stood and turned toward him. He was shocked to see Maul, now Khameir, standing before him, then afraid when Khameir called his lightsaber to his hand and ignighted one end. He took a step forward, but Trin stopped him.

"No. We leave him too." Trin said.

"Why? After what I did, what makes you think I won't hunt you down?" Sidious said as he stood to glare at them.

"Because, dear Chancellor," Trin began, "I have seen into the future, your future to be precise. You will come close to your goal, even see it in reach, but in the end, the one person you least suspect will be your undoing. You will die, ugly, alone, with none loyal to you there to save you." With these words she turned away from him and walked over to Kenobi. She placed her hand on his head and whispered words of forgetfulness. She then turned to Khameir and held out her hand, which he took, clipping his lightsaber to his belt. "Let's leave here." She turned to Sidious briefly. "Chancellor SLEEP!" Sidious slumped to the floor unconscious.

"So now I'm immortal, can't be killed?" It was more a statement than a question.

"Could be worse things." Trin said with a smile. They began walking away.

"Do we take my ship, or my Ex-Masters?" Khameir said jokingly.

"I think Sidious can provide, let's take the cruise ship." Their mingled laughter could be heard throughout the palace, even after they left.

_The End._


End file.
